For Better or Worse
by Muse's Inspiration
Summary: Written for the RT 66: Destination Sunnydale 'Would You Still Have Fallen' challenge


**Title:** For Better Or Worse  
**Author: **Muse  
**Status:** One-Shot  
**Rating:** PG  
**Summary:** Written for 'Would You Still Have Fallen' challenge over at RT:66  
**Warning:** None  
**Spoilers:** None  
**Disclaimer:** Supernatural and all related characters are copyright Eric Kripke, Kripke Enterprises & The CW Network. No infringement intended. Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all related characters are copyright Joss Whedon and ME. No infringement intended.  
**Notes:** A special thanks to dharkcharlotte! Without her, I would be NOTHING! Nothing, I tell you! :-)

**Prompt: He'll be there for life**

Buffy paced the waiting lounge anxiously, chewing on a thumb nail when wringing her hands had caused a blister to start on her palm. This was bad. This was really, really bad. She couldn't believe that it had gone down the way that it had! She had been prepared, she had been ready for the chance to prove herself to Dean and she'd had it all planned out. It was not supposed to end in total and complete disaster!

She stalked over to the observation window and winced as she looked at the amount of people that were hustling around, carrying their various instruments and implements that were needed to do their jobs, calling out to each other with information regarding the condition of this or the status of that….

…yeah, this was bad. And it was all her fault!

She turned around with tears in her eyes and spied Sam standing next to a water fountain, phone glued to his ear and he shook his head when he saw her unspoken question in her eyes. Feeling the tears threaten to completely overtake her, she spun around and headed to the bathroom, not willing to let anyone, even Sam as much as she adored him, see her in this condition; see the guilt she was drowning in reflected in her eyes. Slamming the door to the bathroom shut behind her, she leaned against it and fumbled with the lock for a moment before she hit the doorjamb with her fist in frustration when the mechanism failed to engage and securely provide her haven from what was going on outside on the other side of that observation window.

Couldn't they at least have drawn the blinds?!

Stumbling over to the sink, Buffy fought nausea and fear as she turned on the water, letting the coolness of the liquid flow over her hands as she brought some to her face. She repeated the action several times before she felt that she had enough control over herself to look up, but immediately wished she hadn't. She could now see the bruises, the cuts, the dried dirt and blood on her face and was immediately forced to go to her knees as a wave of dizziness threatened her again. She hadn't allowed anyone to see to her injuries. What was going on out there was much more important.

She heard a timid knock on the door and tried to ignore it. She needed a few more minutes to herself to get her emotions, her fear, under control. The person on the other side was not going to be deterred, however.

"Buffy?" Sam's soft voiced called through the cheap door. "Sweetie? Are you ok? Do you need anything?"

Buffy snorted in response. "What do you think, Sam?! How do you _think_ I feel?!"

Silence came from the other side. Just as she was about to sit down and wait out what was going to inevitability turn into bad news, she heard another sound from the other side of the door.

"Buffy, you can't stay in there forever. It's not your fault, hon."

Buffy choked back a sob.

"Buffy… please? Please come out, ok?" Sam pleaded. She hated when he did that… no matter what, she could never resist him.

Sighing, she turned and walked over to the door, dread making each and every step feel like an eternity. She stopped in front of it, staring at the lock for a moment before finally reaching out and turning the little latch that was that separated her from whatever fate lay on the other side in wait for her. She had never been more terrified of what the future held.

Opening the door, Sam stood there and she stared at him for a second before launching herself into his arms with a force that almost had him landing on his back. Staggering, he wrapped his arms around the small, blonde Slayer and held her as she sobbed into his chest. His heart ached for her and he knew she blaming herself… but there was nothing he could do alleviate her sense of responsibility in all of this.

Hearing the sound of pounding boots on the linoleum, Sam looked up as Dean burst through the double doors, pale with shock and fear making his eyes stand out in stark contrast. Locking onto Buffy in Sam's arms, Dean raced over and snatched her from his brother just as looked up and started babbling. Dean silenced her with a kiss, long and hard, fear making him just that much more forceful. Several minutes passed where he just lost himself in her before he finally pulled back and took a moment to take stock of her condition and make sure that she was, in fact, all right.

"Are you ok, baby?! Sammy called me and told me there had been an accident! What happened?" Dean was frantic. He had never seen her look so upset.

"Dean… I. I…" She couldn't get the words out. Oh God… what was she going to do?? "Yeah, I'm ok… but..." she took a deep breath. "Dean, I need to tell you something…"

"Excuse me? But is there a Dean Winchester in here?" a masculine voice interrupted the moment, providing Buffy a much needed diversion to gather her thoughts.

"Me. That'd be me." Dean said.

"OK… so… the damage is extensive. There's a lot of work needing to be done. Did you wanna leave it here? Or is there someplace in particular you wanted it to go?" the man asked.

Sam sidled closer to Buffy's side.

"What?" Dean asked, the confusion evident in his face and his voice.

"Yeah… you're lucky, really. If she had been going any faster, that beauty would have been totaled."

"WHAT?!" Dean asked, panic starting to build in his voice.

The man looked between Dean and Buffy, grasping what was going on quicker than Dean was and starting edging away. "Um, look… buddy… I don't wanna be the bearer of bad news here, but-"

"-Dean… I… I…IkindawreckedtheImpala." Buffy rushed out.

Dean looked at her in blank confusion. She chewed her bottom lip as the meaning of what she had said started making its way through to him and distinct unhappiness began showing, mainly in the pursed lips, stiff shoulders and drawn in eyebrows.

"Dean… I… Baby, I'm sorry."

Dean turned and looked at the mechanic in anger. "Take me to her. Now."

The man, recognizing the sounds of a person hanging on by a thread, nodded and with a wave of a hand walked away leading Dean to his beloved car. Buffy shoulders slumped and Sam walked over, sliding an arm around her and she turned and buried her face in his chest again. Sam gave her a soft kiss on the top of her head and whispered quietly, "It's gonna be all right, Buffy. You'll see."

"Mmphm, hmphump… mmphmmm."

"Buffy, sweetie? What? I didn't hear you."

She looked up again, eyelashes wet and said, "I _said_, No, it won't. It won't be all right."

Sam smiled gently at her. "Buffy, I know Dean. He loves that car. But he loves you more. It'll be ok."

She frowned at him, not at all convinced and waited for Dean to come back and tell her to pack her crap and get the hell out of his life.

Hearing the door separating the waiting room from the garage open and shut, Buffy sighed and turned and saw Dean standing in the doorway, looking down as he rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. He looked up at her, frowned and turned to look out the observation window at the Impala. He shook his head at the sight of her hooked up to the diagnostic equipment. He looked back at Buffy and she could tell he was upset. Very, very upset.

"It's close to being totaled. She's going to be in the shop for at least three weeks."

Buffy stepped away from Sam, ready to accept responsibility and take whatever Dean dished out.

"Dean, I'm sorry. I… I know it's the first time you let me drive the Impala and I really messed up. I'm sorry. I don't know what else to say. I don't think there _is_ anything else I can say…"

Dean looked at Buffy and did his patent Dean-pursed lips look as he thought about what she said. "Are you ok?" he asked.

She started in surprise. "Yeah… yeah. I mean, I'm a little banged up and sore, but I'm ok, I guess."

He nodded. "Well, that's all that really matters."

Buffy stared at Dean like he'd grown a second head. He wasn't going to threaten her with bodily harm?! Was he sick? Had he been possessed?

Dean saw her looking at him and snorted. "Jesus, baby! What do you think I am?! Don't get me wrong, I'm plenty pissed about the car… and don't think for a second that this is over! – but when I married you, I said 'better or worse'. I'm here for good… for life."

She smiled at him, brilliantly, happily.

"But you're never driving my car again."


End file.
